National Minorities Under The Communists

Question 1

What treaty gave Poland independence

Answer 1

Treaty of Brest-Litovsk 1918

Question 2

What were the aims of Lenin in the Russo-Polish War

Answer 2

-Lenin believed by invading Poland he would be able to free workers from their tyranny and having a knock on effect for the proletariat in neighbouring states

Question 3

What territories would Russia lose after the Russo-Polish War

Answer 3

-Western Ukraine
-Western Belorussia

Question 4

What treaty split up Poland between Germany and Russia

Answer 4

Molotov-Ribbentrop pact

Question 5

What did the Yalta conference establish for Poland

Answer 5

-Russia regained western Ukraine and Belorussia
-Poland would be governed by a Stalinist style government

Question 6

Who did Khruschev release from prison to govern Poland

Answer 6

1956 Gomulka

Question 7

What reforms did Khrushchev bring to Poland

Answer 7

-Peasants allowed to leave collective farms
-Catholic church could teach religion in schools
-Overall easing of control over the Polish people

Question 8

What states gained independence under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk

Answer 8

-Poland
-The Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia)
-Ukraine
-Finland
-Georgia

Question 9

What was the Winter War 1939-40

Answer 9

-Finland refused to let Soviet bases be established in Finnish territory
-Russia invaded starting the Winter War
-Russia suffered heavy casualties of 50,000 deaths highlighting Russian military weakness
-Finland ceded border space to the Russians

Question 10

How were relations with Finland after the Second World War

Answer 10

-Signed a Treaty of Friendship, Co operation and Mutual Assistance (1948)
-Finns gained neutrality status and left alone by the Soviet Union

Question 11

Why was Ukraine important to Russia

Answer 11

-Significant grain producing area
-Warm water ports of Crimea
-Acted as a potential buffer to invasion

Question 12

Why did the Ukrainians suffer heavily under the purges

Answer 12

-Vehemently opposed the collectivisation program so they were accused of being Kulaks causing many peasants to suffer under the Purges

Question 13

What happened to many Ukrainians after the Second World War

Answer 13

Many Ukrainians were accused of being German collaborators and those found guilty were either executed or exiled to the far north

Question 14

How were the Jews treated by the Communists

Answer 14

-“Special” settlements established in the 1930’s
-WW2 Jewish religion and institutions banned
-Doctors’ Plot of 1952 saw 15 Jewish leaders tried and executed
-Khrushchev saw a number of prominent Jewish technical specialists executed for anti communist activity

Question 15

When were the Baltic states incorporated into the USSR

Answer 15

Early years of WW2 from 1939-41

Question 16

What happened to the Baltic states in the latter half of WW2

Answer 16

Mass deportations due to fears that many were collaborating with the Nazis

Question 17

What concessions did the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk result in

Answer 17

-A third of agricultural land
-A third of all railway track
-A third of the Russian population
-Two thirds of coalmines
-Half of heavy industry
-Nearly all available oil
-Most of cotton textile production

Question 18

What did Stalin use Central Asia for

Answer 18

As a dumping ground for groups that needed punishing such as the Crimean Tatars

Question 19

In what ways did the communists appear sensitive to the wants and needs of Central Asia

Answer 19

-Implementation of separate constitutions
-1957 Decree on the Rehabilitation of Deported Peoples allowing many deported groups to return home excluding the Volga Germans and Meskhetians

Question 20

Why was the Virgin Land Scheme unpopular with the indigenous people of Central Asia

Answer 20

They felt swamped by the immigrants looking to take land they needed for their nomadic lifestyle

Question 21

What were relations like between Tito and Stalin

Answer 21

-Tito objected to stalinist centralised government
-As a result of non compliance Yugoslavia expelled from Cominform 1948 alongside economic aid cut
-Relations remained frosty until Stalin’s death

Question 22

What were relations like with Tito under Khruschev

Answer 22

-1955 Khruschev visited Yugoslavia to repair relations
-1956 Khruschev abandoned Cominform
-This established cordial relations between the two

Question 23

What were the populations of the various ethnic groups in Czechoslovakia

Answer 23

-6.5 million Czechs
-2.5 million Slovaks
-3 million Germans
-700,000 Hungarians
-500,000 Ruthenians
-100,000 Poles
-Pockets of Romanians and Jews

Question 24

What happened to Czechoslovakia after WW2

Answer 24

-Free elections held 1946 creating a coalition government with the communists gaining a third of the votes
-Gottwald elected as prime minister (a communist) party yipee other positions given to non communists (Beneš became president)
-Coalition government pushed to develop trade with the West and gain a share of the Marshall plan

Question 25

Why did the communists seize power in Czechoslovakia in 1948

Answer 25

-Communists we’re losing support from the people due to their rejection of Marshall aid
-Had lost the cooperation of non communist Cabinet members
-Non communists were not united in opposition
-Communists controlled the police, military and trade unions
-Encouraged by Stalin to take over as Russia was worried about Czechoslovakia accepting American aid (“dollar imperialism”

Question 26

What were the results of the Czechoslovakian coup

Answer 26

-Rigged elections ensured the last election of communists ministers who obeyed orders from Stalin
-Beneš resigned
-Antagonised the west showing Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” and leading to the eventual establishment of NATO
-Heightened Cold War tensions

Question 27

What happened to Hungary after WW2

Answer 27

-“free elections” established and despite communists gaining a fifth of the votes communists dominated the Cabinet
-Hungarian communists were not all pro Stalin resilient in by 1949 a quarter of a million Communist Party members had been expelled with many higher ups imprisoned or tortured
-Hungary governed by Stalinist leader Rákosi

Question 28

What happened to Hungary after Stalin’s death

Answer 28

-Rákosi replaced by more moderate Nagy
-1955 Rákosi overture Nagy to the dissatisfaction of Hungarians
-Tito convinced Khruschev to replace Rákosi with more liberal Gero
-Appointment of Gero resulted in unrest leading to Hungarian uprising of 1956

Question 29

How did the Hungarian uprising unfold

Answer 29

-23 October huge demonstrations took place in Budapest
-Khruschev reacted by sending 30,000 troops and tanks to quell the unrest
-Gero was replaced by Nagy
-30 October Khruschev promised to negotiate agreements over Soviet influence, Soviet troops withdrew from Hungary
-Nagy took advantage of this calling for communists to share power and Hungary to leave the Warsaw pact
-Suez crisis alongside the rising worried Khruschev that the West may think Soviet power was in the wane so 4 November troops occupied Hungary installing pro Soviet Kádár

Question 30

What were the results of the Hungarian Uprising

Answer 30

-Khruschev sent a clear message to Eastern European countries that he was unwilling to lessen Soviet involvement
-The West realised Khruschev was willing to risk global conflict to maintain authority over Hungary making them unwilling to intervene
-Resulted in a temporary easing of relations with Mao

Question 31

What happened to Germany after WW2

Answer 31

-Split between four zones of control of France, USA, UK and Russia established by Yalta
-Potsdam established a policy of denazification and demilitarisation of Germany
-Russians demanded very harsh treatment on reparations to Germany in their zone
-East Germany established in 1949

Question 32

Why did relations deteriorate with th west over Germany

Answer 32

-Allies disagreed on how harsh reparations should be
-1946 shifted his position on germany claiming all of Germany
-1947 the West began merging their zones significantly antagonising the Russians
-1948 Western allies introduced the Deutschmark with Soviets countering this by producing the Ostmark and blockaded west berlin
-Berlin airlift resulted in the West flying over food and raw materials forcing Stalin to end the blockade

Question 33

What was Cominform?

Answer 33

Promoting ideological unity among communist parties in Europe.

Question 34

What was the Comintern?

Answer 34

Communist International Body.
Spread Communism overseas.

Question 35

What was the Truman Doctrine?

Answer 35

Giving aid to any country fighting communism.

Question 36

How was communism introduced in Romania after the Second World War.

Answer 36

After Nazis removed a coalition government was formed with majority communist seats.
Soviet Union forced king to appoint communist prime minister.
In a few months communists controlled the country.
Monarchy abolished 1947.

Question 37

How was communism established in Bulgaria?

Answer 37

Coalition government formed. Majority communist.
Rigged elections in 1945.
Executed political leaders.
Abolished Monarchy 1946.

Question 38

What was different to the communists rise to power in Albanias?

Answer 38

Communists rose to power easily.
Faced little opposition.

Question 39

Why was Greece an exception to the other Eastern states?

Answer 39

Communists unsuccessful.
Civil War between royalists and communists.
UK and USA supported royalists.
Stalin didn’t help communists.
1949 communists defeated.

Question 40

How was communism introduced in Yugoslavia?

Answer 40

Elections in 1945.
Marshall Tito elected.

Question 41

How was Tito able to control Yugoslavia successfully after the withdrawal of Cominform?

Answer 41

Trade relations with the west.
International Monetary Fund.

Question 42

What was the Marshall Plan?

Answer 42

A programme to help European recovery after the Second World War. USA assisted.